Running the Race Together: A Story of Love, Legacy, and Men’s Health

June 1, 2026 | Running the Race Together| By: Dr. Nakia Davis, DHA, RN

The month of June arrives with a beautiful, yet heavy complexity. It is a season filled with milestones—birthdays, celebrations of freedom, and fatherhood. But it is also National Men’s Health Month, a time that calls us to look closely at the men we love, protect, and stand beside.

Twelve years ago, my world changed forever when my husband, Ronte, passed away from sudden cardiac arrest.

When people hear about cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia, they often picture a specific lifestyle. But the truth is far more nuanced, and as a Registered Nurse, I know that health journeys don’t always fit into a neat box.

Ronte and I were actively on a health and fitness journey together. We worked out daily. We supported one another through his disease processes, learning how to navigate the complexities of managing hypertension and hyperlipidemia from a place of active empowerment. Together, as a team, we had achieved a total combined weight loss of 85 pounds when he passed.

He was doing the work. We were running the race together.

But physical fitness is only one piece of the armor. We cannot talk about a man’s physical heart without addressing the mental, emotional, and spiritual weight he is often forced to carry.

Ronte was a brilliant engineer—and a true man of God. He daily navigated the isolating reality of being the only Black engineer in his workplace. The environment was filled with unfamiliarity, subtle biases, and systemic stress that slowly chipped away at his peace. He didn’t suffer in silence. He advocated for himself. He went through the proper channels, seeking a safe environment where he could simply do his job and thrive. Yet the support he needed never truly came.

The day he died, we had just left church and gone to brunch. As we sat together, the weight of it all pressed down on him. He looked at me and asked, “Why am I going through this?”

When people cannot fault your work, they sometimes attempt to attack your character. And that kind of wound cuts deeply. Character is one of the most valuable things a person possesses, and watching him carry that burden was heartbreaking.

Seeing the toll it was taking, I asked him if we should relocate and start fresh somewhere else. But because he was a man anchored in his faith, he told me, “God hasn’t told me to relocate yet.”

We returned home. I went to the grocery store. And in that quiet window of time, his earthly journey came to an end.

While I may never fully understand why his race ended when it did, I find peace knowing that he was welcomed into eternal rest.

The chronic, unaddressed stress of a toxic workplace leaves a physical footprint on the body. It elevates blood pressure, strains the cardiovascular system, and acts as a silent catalyst for crisis. Too often, we underestimate the impact that prolonged emotional strain, workplace stress, and the pressure to endure can have on a man’s overall health.

The body keeps score, and eventually it demands to be heard.

Ronte’s story is a powerful reminder that sudden cardiac arrest is a quiet, sudden thief—even when you are actively fighting for your health. But it is also a loud alarm that we have to change how we talk about men’s health and men’s mental health. We cannot separate emotional stress, workplace pressures, and life burdens from physical disease processes.

This month, I want to use my voice to advocate for the complete picture of wellness. We must create spaces where our men feel supported in their vulnerability, transparent about their symptoms, and empowered to seek help without shame. We must advocate for their peace of mind just as fiercely as we advocate for their physical health.

True wellness isn’t a solo journey; it is built on partnership, education, community, and advocacy. Let us commit to holding space for the full health of the men who ground us, support us, and love us, while continuing to honor the legacy of those who taught us what strength truly looks like.

This June, don’t just ask the men in your life how they’re doing—create space for them to answer honestly.

With Strength and Grace,

Dr. Nakia Davis, RN
Founder, Strength In Her